Mumbai Crime: Dongri cops act in time, save 22-year-old from kidnappers

Cops from Dongri police station nabbed four persons and rescued a 22-year-old man who was kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 7 lakh. The victim, Mufizul Mandal, was held captive in a room Dharavi for three days.

DCP Manoj Kumar Sharma, who led the operation, told Times of India, "We received a complaint on February 3 about Mufizul Mandal. His brothers received call from his phone, which was being operated by some unknown persons. The caller demanded Rs seven lakh for his release and after negotiation, the amount was brought down to Rs five lakh. The kidnappers called Mandal's brothers at several locations but they did not come to collect the money. Our teams had laid traps."

The report added that Mandal resides with his three brothers at Dongri, and is in the garment business. "I met one Samiullah Shaikh, 26, two weeks ago. We befriended and on Friday, he came to receive me at Dongri and took me to Dharavi. He offered me lassi which was perhaps spiked with some drugs. I became unconscious. When I opened my eyes I found myself tied with ropes, gagged and an unknown person sitting next to me with a dagger in his hand. When I agitated, he asked me to keep quite or he will harm me," Mandal was quoted as saying by the paper post his release.

Following the complaint, cops traced the location where Mandal was held, and nabbed the accused. The arrested persons have been identified as Shahenshah Rayeen (19), Feroz Lal (19), Samiullah Shaikh and Mukesh. The latter, it is being said, was the mastermind.

"Mandal's brother earned money by working hard in garment business. The accused kidnapped Mandal thinking to get some money as ransom. Our teams worked hard and arrested all of them. We have recovered the dagger, rope used to tie Mandal and other items related to the crime," an officer told the paper.